Impossible
by Ms.TamborineMan
Summary: On July 7, 1991, Daniel finds out that 16-year-old Lucy is pregnant. Unfortunatly, she bursts into flames 3 monthes after the baby's birth, leaving Daniel with a daughter to raise. What happens when he meets Luce at Sword and Cross seventeen years later? On HIATUS.
1. News

July 7th, 1991

It was around four-o-clock when Daniel got the phone call. He had been lying in bed for some time now, and he couldn't get his mind off her. He was anxious. Was she okay? Still alive, that is? Even though she was only sixteen at the time, last night had still been a huge mistake.

His phone rang. Immediately, he answered it, desperately hoping that it would be her.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Daniel." He breathed a sigh of relief. It was her. Lucinda was alright…for now.

"Yes?" he said.

"Daniel," she repeated. He thought he heard her voice crack a little. Or maybe it was just this crappy phone. "There's something…I need to tell you."

There was something she had to tell him? What could that be? His heart pounded in his chest.

"Don't freak out, ok?"

_Don't freak out?_ This was sure to be bad, then. "Uhm…ok." He said slowly.

Lucinda hesitated. "You promise."

_No promises,_ Daniel thought, but he said, "Yeah. Sure. I promise."

"Alright." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Daniel…"

He braced himself. But nothing could've prepared him for what was coming next.

"…I'm pregnant."

"_You're what?_" Daniel shouted, his voice rising an octave. He couldn't help it. He was freaking out.

"I'm pregnant," she sobbed into the phone.

"No way!" Daniel yelled. "That's not possible! It's just not! It can't be!" He had leapt up from the bed was and now pacing the floor.

"Well, it is," Lucinda cried. "And I told you not to freak out!"

Daniel took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. This was not happening. This couldn't be real.

"Are you…sure?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Lucinda shouted at him. "I took five pregnancy tests and they all came out the same! How's that for sure?"

Daniel suddenly felt dizzy. He sat down on the edge of the bed, unable to say anything.

"My parents don't know yet." Lucinda whispered. "They're going to be so mad when they find out." She paused. "What do I do, Daniel?"

Why was she asking _him_ this? He had no earthly idea on how to handle this! But when he heard her sobbing into the receiver, his absolute shock faded and his heart ached.

"Lucy…" he murmured. "Lucy, we'll figure something out. I'm sure we will."

"Don't leave me, Daniel," she whispered. "Please don't ditch me."

"I would _never_ do that!" he said fiercely, willing her to believe. "I love you, Lucinda."

"I…I love you too," Lucinda said hesitantly. "Look, Daniel, I have to go. Talk to you later?"

"Of course," Daniel said. A few minutes later, the line went dead.

Daniel buried his face in his hands. What had he done?

At that moment, Cam burst through the door. He was staying in the hotel room over. "Hey, what's going on in here? I heard shouting."

"You're awfully nosy, Cam," Daniel muttered, glaring at him.

Cam grinned. "Alright. So, are you going to tell me?"

"Nope." Daniel snapped. "Get out. I don't want to talk to you."

Cam frowned. "Geez. What's got your panies in a wad?"

"If you must know, she's pregnant."

"Come again?" Cam asked. "I can't hear you. You need to stop mumbling."

"SHE'S PREGNANT!" Daniel spat.

Cam looked shocked. "What? Who's pregnant?"

"Lucinda!" he shouted. "God, you can be so dense, Cam!"

"And she's not dead?"

"Not yet!"

"Then why are you pissed off?" Cam asked, crossing his arms. "You're going to be a daddy! You should be happy."

Daniel shook his head. "No, Cam, it's not that simple."

"Of course it is. She turned sixteen yesterday. She can't blow up until seventeen." Cam said. "What I mean is, you've got plenty of time."

"A year isn't a lot of time." Daniel said glumly.

Cam crossed his arms again. "Well, you're just going to have to deal with what you've got, then. It's longer than what you usually have."


	2. Nevaeh

As much as Daniel hated to admit it, Cam was right. And so it was that Daniel decided to make do with the year he had. For the past nine months, he had been extremely careful around Lucy. When her parents had found out, they had kicked her out. She had been living in Daniel's apartment for the last nine months.

May 18th, 1992

It was the middle of the night, nine months after the big news.

Lucy was tossing and turning in bed, her stomach bulging. Daniel's eyes were wide open, his heart pounding in his ears, so loud it was almost deafening. The glowing red digits on the clock read 12:35 A.M.

Suddenly, she went very still.

"Lucinda?" he asked in a low voice.

"Daniel!" she gasped. "We need to get to the hospital, _now._"

His heart raced. "Why?" He forced himself to ask. He dreaded the answer he already knew was coming.

"My water just broke."

The next thing he knew, he was racing through the night in his truck, trying to manage staying on the slick road on the turns at his speed, grateful no cops were out at this time of night. Lucy's breathing came quick and shallow.

"Hang on, Lucy," he said, glancing up to see the lights of the hospital. "We're almost there." He tried to sound calm but failed miserably.

_Would she be ok? Would the baby be ok?_

He screeched to a stop in the hospital parking lot, barely having time to turn off the truck before he rushed Lucinda into the hospital. She made it through the doors, but then she shrieked and fell to her knees.

Daniel's heart completely stopped. She clutched onto his hand, gasping to get air. She screamed again.

"We need help, NOW!" He yelled, panicking.

The guy at the counter shouted to another at the base of the elevator. "Get doctor Shannon! Tell her it's an emergency!"

The man nodded and dashed up the steps as fast as he could.

Daniel fell to Lucy's side.

"Are you going to be ok, honey?" he asked frantically in a soft voice.

"Daniel," she said between quick breaths. "Daniel…"

Just then the man came back down with a lady doctor and five more people wearing hospital green gloves and face masks.

"Can she stand?" Doctor Shannon asked.

"Can you?" he asked Lucy softly.

She tried, but fell back down.

Doctor Shannon yelled something, but Daniel was too panicked to hear it or even care. Moments later, some men ran out with a green stretcher. He scrambled up and out of their way in a daze as they hoisted her onto it. They began to run off with her. Daniel squeezed her hand as the elevator went up.

"Daniel…" she said through labored breathing. "Don't leave me, Daniel." Her voice cracked twice.

His eyes stung with tears. "I won't. I promise. I love you, baby."

Her eyes filled with tears. "I love you too, Daniel."

When they arrived at the door, the doctor turned on him.

"I'm afraid we can't let you in here."

"But—" he protested. They proceeded into the door.

"No!" he yelled, grabbing the woman's arm. "I promised…that I wouldn't leave her."

She pulled away. "I'm sorry, sir…"

"You don't understand…!"

She shook her head sharply. Then they went into the room, leaving Daniel out in the hallway.

He felt woozy. Sick to his stomach, he slid down the wall until he was on his clutches. He buried his head in his hands and fought back tears and trying to steady his frantic breathing. He realized he was shaking.

Lucy's screaming was torture. He couldn't bear to listen any longer. Gathering up all his strength, he took a deep breath and went to the waiting room.

After what seemed like forever, Dr. Shannon came back out. She looked exhausted. She took off her gloved and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"H-how is she?" Daniel asked, dreading the answer. It was unlikely that Lucy had survived. He was cursed, after all.

But Dr. Shannon smiled. "They're both fine. Would you like to see your new baby girl?"

The reply left Daniel dizzy. _She was alive!_ He almost started crying from relief.

"Yes!" he said eagerly. Of course he wanted to see them. The woman extended her arm and helped him to his feet. They then both went into the hospital room.

Lucy was lying in bed. She looked immensely tired but still beautiful. Daniel felt a wave of joy pass over him when he saw the baby girl in her arms.

Daniel walked over to them. Lucy looked up at his entrance. "She's beautiful," he whispered. "Just like you."

Lucy smiled up at him. "How about a name?"

A name? Daniel hadn't been thinking about names. He had been too worried about Lucy's survival. "Uh…"

"How about Nevaeh?" Lucy put out there. "You know, like heaven spelled backwards."

_Nevaeh._ Daniel liked the name. It had a good ring to it. "It's perfect," he said.

Lucy smiled and looked at the baby. "Hey, there, Nevaeh. Say hello to daddy."

Daniel smiled broadly. His heart was about to burst from all the love that was there. At the time, he couldn't have been happier.

But later, he realized what that meant.

Lucy had three months to live, and there was absolutely nothing Daniel could do to change that.


	3. Up in Smoke

July 6th, 1992

Daniel swore that he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep for the past three months, and this night was no different. He'd had an exhausting day already, with Lucy's family coming over for her birthday. Lucy and Daniel were still living together, and Daniel had nearly forgotten the curse.

It had to be four-o-clock in the morning when Nevaeh burst into tears. Again. Daniel was cranky and tired, so he grumpily moved outside on the deck. It was extremely muggy out there, but he had more of a chance of getting sleep out here than he was in there.

Once he got outside, he leaned up against the rail and rubbed his tired eyes with his hands. He yawned hugely and continued to stare blankly at the road. There was something he was forgetting, and it bugged him. He couldn't think straight at all. He was way too tired.

Just then, he heard a long, high-pitched scream from inside the apartment.

Lucy's scream.

Daniel panicked. Why now? Why did this have to happen to him?

"Daniel!" she shrieked. "Daniel!"

"Lucy!" he screamed desperately, rushing inside. But he was already too late. The whole apartment reeked of smoke.

"No!" he yelled. "No, no, no!" He sank to his knees, feeling sick to his stomach. He buried his face in his hands and decided to just sit there and burn up in this fire.

But then he remembered.

_Neveah._

He immediately flew to his feet. Was Neveah destined to die, too? He could hear her wailing in the other room. So she was still alive. Which meant there was still a chance to save her.

"Neveah!" he cried, trying to find his way through the thick smoke. Though it wasn't lethal to angels, it definatly would be to an infant. He had to find her.

He felt his way down the hallway and found the entrance to the bedroom. The wailing grew louder, and Daniel knew he was getting close. Then he accidentally bumped into the crib.

"Nevaeh," he whispered, picking her up and taking her in his arms. "It's going to be alright." Of that, he wasn't sure. Had she inhaled too much smoke? He couldn't be sure.

Of one thing he was sure, though. He had to get out of here. Now.

Daniel's wings immediately unfurled. He held Nevaeh to his chest and shot up, through the ceiling and into the humid night. He went up, up, up, above the clouds and as far away from the fire—from what used to be Lucinda—as he could get. Never once did Nevaeh stop crying, and Daniel felt tears well up in his own eyes.

She was gone. It would be another seventeen years…

Daniel held on to Nevaeh more tightly. He couldn't bear to lose her. She was all that he had left.


	4. Fast Foward

Sword and Cross, September, 2009

"Daddddddddddddddddddd..."

"Nevaehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…." Daniel copied his daughter's tone sarcastically. He turned and rolled his eyes. His daughter now had her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed in mock frustration. "What is it?" he asked her.

"I'm booooooooooooooooooooored." She whined. "Let's go do something. Go into town, maybe."

Daniel looked his daughter over. Her long, black hair was down today and she had put the blue and red hair extensions in it. She had his gray eyes, her mother's nose and hair. He loved her more than life itself, but he really didn't feel like doing anything other than enjoying his Saturday today. "No." he forced himself to say.

Nevaeh sighed. "Come on, dad. Please?"

"Let me think…" Daniel pretended to be deeply in thought for a moment. "Uhm…no."

"We could go to your favorite restaurant, on me," she bribed. "How about it?"

"How about…no?"

"Dad, come on."

"The answer is no."

Nevaeh put on her best pouty puppy dog face. "But dad, Please?"

He was no match for her puppy-dog face, and she knew it. She was making him feel awful. "Stop it, Nevaeh," he begged, knowing he was about to give in.

"?"

"Nevaeh," he sighed. "Fine. We'll go into town. But what do you want to do there?"

"Yay!" she said, dropping the pout. "Thanks, dad!"

"You never told me what you planned on doing there," Daniel mumbled.

"I could use some new clothes…" Nevaeh's sentence drifted.

"Clothes shopping? I never agreed to that!" he exclaimed. "You have plenty of clothes!"

"But you already agreed to go!" Nevaeh said. "And besides, lunch is still on me."

"Yeah, right." Daniel muttered. "You'll conveniently forget to bring your wallet. Besides, what's stopping you? You can drive!" But already, Daniel was picking up the keys to his truck. Nevaeh reached them at the same time. They stared each other down for a minute.

"I'm driving." Daniel said. Nevaeh didn't complain and let him take the keys. "I'm not letting you break another rim on my truck."

"I don't break one every time I drive!" Nevaeh protested, following him out of their room and into the parking lot.

"Yeah. Just most of the time. I've had to replace at least fourteen. Those things cost a lot!" he looked at her. "Do I look like I'm made of money?" he asked, unlocking the passenger door and going around to the other side.

Nevaeh climbed in. "It's only been eight!" she said.

"Only eight, huh?" Daniel cranked up the engine. "How on earth did you pass the driver's test?"

As Daniel had expected, Nevaeh had conveniently forgotten her wallet. They were still eating at his favorite restaurant for lunch, though. They were sitting in a booth next to the window, enjoying their food and the parking-lot view. From anyone else's perspective, they looked like boyfriend and girlfriend. Techinically, they were almost the same age, though Daniel was, in reality, far older than Nevaeh.

"So," Nevaeh said, spinning her tea with her straw. "It's about that time, isn't it?"

Daniel looked out the window. "About what time?"

"You know…about time Lucinda popped up."

Daniel cringed. "Why are you bringing this up, Nevaeh? You know I don't like to…"

"I was just wondering," she said, looking down guiltily.

"Wondering what?" Daniel demanded, sounding sterner than he wanted to.

"Are you going to search for her?" she asked sheepishly.

Daniel's eyes softened. "Nah," he said.

"Why not?" Nevaeh asked, surprised. She sat up a little.

"I've got priorities now." He said, then sadly smiled at her.

Nevaeh sighed. "I'm not a kid anymore, dad."

"Yeah, but, you're still young," he said. "Who's going to replace your broken rims?"

Nevaeh's cheeks flushed and her eyes narrowed. Daniel chuckled at her expression. He leaned back. "See? You need me."

Nevaeh sighed. "Alright, dad, whatever."

"Oh come on, now. Don't be pissy."

"I'm not pissy!"

"Sure."

Just then, the waitress came back with their check. Daniel flipped it over, scanned the price, then looked up at Nevaeh. "So…aren't you paying for this?"

Nevaeh blushed. "Uh…of course. But I…uhm, forgot my wallet."

"Oh, I know." Daniel looked up and met her grey eyes with his violet ones. Around her, they were always violet. Nevaeh had Daniel wrapped around her finger.

Daniel managed to find exact change in his wallet. He placed it on the table, along with a tip, and got up. He checked his watch. 12:46. They had plenty of time.

"So, where did you want to go?" Daniel asked when they got back into the truck.

"But dad, you love her."

Oh great. They were back on this topic. "Just drop it, okay?" he sighed.

"But—"

"_Drop it._" He said, more sternly this time.

It was silent for a few seconds.

"Now, where was it you wanted to go?" Daniel asked.

Thirty minutes later, Nevaeh was scanning the jeans at JCPenny's while Daniel stood off to the side, leaning on one leg and looking immensely bored.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Daniel fished it out of his pocket and saw that it was Cam calling. He decided to just let it go on to voicemail. Cam could be quite annoying, and Daniel wasn't in the mood to put up with it.

Neveah was looking through racks of shirts when her phone rang. She had a few slung over her arm and had to drop them to grab her phone.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly.

"Hey. It's Cam." Cam said from the other end. "How come your dad never answers the phone?"

_Uhm…Maybe because he thinks you're really annoying? _Nevaeh thought, but didn't say that. Instead, she said, "What is it you need, Cam?"

"How about you tell your daddy to answer his phone. It's important."

Nevaeh sighed. "Alright, Cam. I will."

"Okay, sweetheart. You be careful, okay?"

Nevaeh rolled her eyes hugely. "Alright, Cam. Bye."

"Bye."

Daniel walked up to her, appearing to be only mildly interested. "Who was that?" he asked.

"That was Cam, telling me to tell you to answer your damned phone." Nevaeh said. "Again."

Daniel groaned. "Couldn't you have told him I had a major headache or something like that? I don't want to talk to him."

"He says it's important," Nevaeh said.

Daniel grumbled under his breath.

"And, he should be calling you in a few—"

Just then, Daniel snapped his phone out of his pocket and brought it to his ear. "Hello?" he asked irritably.

"Heyyyyy Daniel!" Cam greeted him. "How come you don't ever answer your god-damned phone? Are you too old to figure out how to work it? Or are you just ignoring your buddy Cam?"

"One, you are not my buddy, and Two, I'm absolutely ancient, Cam." Daniel said. He leaned on the other leg. "So, what is this amazingly important thing that you needed to tell me?"

Cam ignored the comment. "Well…the word just came in. We've got a new student at Sword and Cross."

"So? Why should I care about some new kid?"

"I'll tell you why. It's because she has black hair, fair skin…"

"What are you getting at?"

"…And, her name's Lucinda. Luce, for short." Cam finished.

Daniel's heart picked up. He felt the tiniest bit queasy. No. It couldn't be Lucinda. Not THAT Lucinda. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Cam, but there are other girls with dark hair and pale skin with the name Lucinda."

"No, really! I'm absolutely certain, this is her!" Cam said.

Daniel didn't want to talk to Cam, especially about Lucinda. The subject was a major sore spot for him. "_Bye_, Cam." He said suddenly.

"Hey! Don't you hang up on me—"

But Daniel had already cut him off and shoved his phone in his pocket. His phone was already vibrating again in his pocket fifteen seconds later. Must have been Cam, as mad as a hornet. Daniel knew Cam hated being cut off, but he didn't care. He wasn't answering.

Nevaeh was looking at him oddly. "Uhm…dad? What was that about?"

"Nothing." Daniel snapped. "Now let's get you these clothes and get out of here."


	5. The New Kid

Chapter Five

_Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep…_

Daniel turned over in bed and covered his ears. Damned alarm clock. He wasn't ready to wake up yet. He stayed there for a few minutes, waiting for it to end, but it never did. Annoyed, he rolled back over and reached out his hand to smack it off—

And accidentally rolled off the bed.

"Nice." He heard Nevaeh say. He glanced up to find her brushing her teeth.

Daniel grumbled inexplicitly and stood up, stretching and yawning.

Nevaeh spat in the sink. "Good morning, dad. Having a nice Monday? We get to go to school this morning!"

"Wonderful." Daniel muttered.

Nevaeh smiled mischievously. "Come on. It's not _that_ bad."

"Please tell me—What qualifies as 'not that bad?'"

She snickered, throwing me a black shirt. "Put some clothes on," she said.

Daniel sighed and pulled it on over his head. "Alright," he said. "I'm ready. Let's just get this over with."

As Daniel and Nevaeh emerged from their room, Nevaeh yawned loudly and said, "Ah…what a beautiful day to be going to a beautiful reform school!"

"I'm going to have to disagree with you there," Daniel muttered, looking around him in disdain.

"Let's just go get breakfast," Nevaeh said. "I'm starving."

"You go on," Daniel said. "I've got something I need to do real quick."

Nevaeh nodded. "Alright. Want me to get you anything?"

Daniel shook his head. "See you in class."

Nevaeh nodded. And with that, they split and headed different directions.

When Nevaeh walked into the cafeteria, it was crowded. The breakfast food here was half-decent, but everyone ate it anyway, and pretended it was of heaven. Nevaeh would choke it down if she had to, but usually…

"Nevaeh!" someone said from behind her. She whirled around and grinned. Roland, holding up a box of donuts.

"Hey, Roland," she said. "How's it going?"

"Now, I know you don't want to eat that crap," he said, jabbing a finger toward the line. "So I got something special."

He opened the box and offered it to her. Nevaeh picked up a gooey, sticky, sugary glazed donut and took a big bite.

"Thanks, Roland," she said with food in her mouth.

Roland laughed. "No problem. So, where's your dad this morning?"

Nevaeh shrugged. "He said he had something to do."

"Well," he said, "Come over here and sit by us."

Nevaeh thought it was…well, a little weird being friends with her dad's friends. But then again, what qualified as normal? She nodded, and Roland grinned, leading her over to a secluded table in the corner of the cafeteria. From here, she could see everyone and everything that was happening.

Arianne grinned when she spotted Roland and Nevaeh. "Hey, Roland! Hey, Nevaeh!" she called. Roland chuckled, sliding into the seat opposite Arianne. Arianne patted the space beside her for Nevaeh, and she sat.

"So," Arianne prompted.

"So?" Nevaeh asked.

"What's been up?" Arianne asked. "Hey, have you heard about the new kid?"

"New kid?" No, she hadn't. "There's a new kid?"

Arianne looked at her, shocked. "I thought Daniel would've told you," she said.

Nevaeh slowly shook her head. Confused, she began to pop her knuckles. Her dad hated when she did that, and he had told her that her mother would do it all the time and that it drove him insane.

"Well, then," Arianne said. "There's a new kid, and her name is…"

"Lucinda," someone suddenly said. Both Arianne and Nevaeh's heads snapped up to see Daniel standing there. "…Is not here."

"Oh, come on, Daniel," Arianne said. "You're just in denial."

"Wait—" Nevaeh said, surprised. "Lucinda…you mean…"

"She's_ not _here," Daniel growled.

"You haven't even seen her yet," Arianne protested.

"Yes, and neither have you!" Daniel spat. "We can't just go around assuming every girl with dark hair is _that_ Lucinda."

"D-E-N-I-A-L." Arianne said to him.

"I'm not in de—" Daniel stopped, sighing. "Okay, whatever. I'm done with this." He swiveled around and turned to walk away.

"Yeah, _sure_ you are," Arianne called to his back. She turned back to Nevaeh, as if nothing had happened. "Anyway…"

Nevaeh knew that her dad was probably right, as he often was. It was true that they couldn't just say every girl with black hair was Lucinda. But what if it was? She hoped to have this new girl in at least one of her classes.

Nevaeh sighed, plopping down in her seat. She rooted through her backpack, finding a piece of gum, and popped it into her mouth in preparation for the long class ahead of her. The classroom slowly filled, getting a little bit louder as each student poured in. Nevaeh didn't notice, though, because she was listening to her I-pod.

She did, however, notice it when a girl sat down in the desk next to hers. It had always been empty before. Nevaeh stole a curious glance at her, and realized it was the new girl—Lucinda.

Her eyes widened. She looked a lot like her, with the same black hair, except hers was chopped off. But…Her dad had always told her that her mother liked to wear her hair long.

The new girl turned to look at her. She looked flustered and confused—probably still shocked that she was here in this hellhole. Nevaeh stared back, removing her ear buds from her ears so she could have a conversation with her.

"Hey," Nevaeh said nonchalantly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Hey," Lucinda said slowly, looking her over, probably thinking, _isn't this chick supposed to be crazy?_

Nevaeh smiled. "So, you're that new kid, Lucinda, right?"

She nodded. "Luce."

Nevaeh grinned. So it was Lucinda. But was it _that_ Lucinda…? If it was…well, if it was, it meant that in some way, this was her mother. That would be awkward, to say the least. "Well, I'm Nevaeh. Nice to meet you."

Luce looked her over. "Uhm…you too," she said.

_Maybe we could be friends,_ Nevaeh thought, and was about to say that when the teacher walked in. It was almost magical how quickly the students rushed to their seats.

_After class,_ she mouthed to Luce, and Luce nodded in reply. With that, Nevaeh turned her attention to the teacher.


	6. Her

Chapter Six

After class ended, the students went outside for a kinda-sorta break. It only lasted fifteen minutes, but it was amazing how much gossip could be spread throughout that short time. Nevaeh lost sight of Luce in the crowds, though, and went straight to find her dad. He was casually strolling the grounds, wearing a bright red scarf that she hadn't seen him wearing that morning. She walked up to him and plucked at the scarf. "Well, aren't you a rebel?"

Daniel gave her a wry smile. "Yep. I sure am."

"You're so badass," Nevaeh chuckled, rolling her eyes. Nevaeh decided to walk with him, enjoying the weather. It was as muggy as hell outside, but in the school, it felt like Antarctica. She swore she could see her breath when she breathed inside that school.

"You know," Nevaeh said, stretching. I had that new chick in my class."

Daniel stiffened. "Yes, and?" he tried not to sound interested and failed miserably.

"Well, I will say that she does look an awful lot like her." Nevaeh said. "And like Arianne said, her name is Luce, so…"

"Well, just because she resembles your m—Lucinda it doesn't mean…"

"Yes, I know, it doesn't mean it's her. I've been hearing that from you all morning," Nevaeh grumbled.

Daniel felt a little irritated. He didn't like it that his daughter was getting annoyed with him. He had been repeating himself a lot this morning, and it was beginning to feel like no one was listening to him. He searched the crowds, looking for them—Cam, Arianne, or Roland—and caught someone else's gaze instead.

A shock went down his spine. It was _her_. The new girl. Luce. Lucinda.

His eyes widened. It couldn't be…could it?

_No. No way,_ he thought, but there was no denying it. They had been right. It_ was_ that Lucinda.

Suddenly, he was angry at her. The nerve—to pop into his life right now. She didn't even know all the shit that he had been through, and now—

He saw that she was looking at him—checking him out. It made him even angrier at her. Without hesitation, he lifted his hand in the air and flipped her the bird.

Lucinda looked absolutely shocked. Her eyes cheeks flushed bright red and her eyes widened.

"Hey!" Nevaeh protested. "Nice, dad. What did you do that for? She doesn't even know you!"

But Daniel ignored her. He grabbed her arm, and she let out a little yelp. "Come on," he said through gritted teeth. "We're leaving, Nevaeh."

Minutes later, they were back in their rooms, Daniel throwing his crap into a suitcase and Nevaeh watching him as if he were from another planet. "What are you doing!" she asked, horrified.

"Pack your stuff, Nevaeh," he said angrily. "We're leaving!"

"B—what?" Nevaeh was stunned. "Why?"

"I'm not staying here if _she's_ here," Daniel said, jabbing his thumb to the door as if Lucinda was standing there.

"Why the hell not!" Nevaeh cried.

"Do you know how much shit she had put me through?" Daniel seethed. "I've been to hell and back for that girl."

"She hasn't done anything!" Nevaeh shouted. "You just met her! No, not even that! And besides, she just got here! We've been here—what—six months? We're hardly the ones who should be leaving!"

Daniel fixed her with a glare. "We're leaving, Nevaeh. Pack your bags."

"You just expect me to go along, don't you?" Nevaeh narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm seventeen. I'm not a little girl anymore."

Daniel opened his mouth, then closed it, finding nothing to say. Nevaeh knew it pained him that she had played that card, but she couldn't help it. She was irritated. There was no reason why they should leave.

"Nevaeh," he pleaded, pain evident in his eyes.

Nevaeh crossed her arms. "I'm not leaving. You can go if you want, but I'm staying right where I am."

Daniel looked her over, hoping that somehow he could get her to change her mind. "Please, Nevaeh," he begged.

Nevaeh stood her ground.

Daniel sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, his daughter was right. He hadn't even spoken to Lucinda—this Lucinda—yet. They shouldn't have to leave. Daniel knew he was just being a coward, running away from what was sure to happen.

"Fine." He said.

_Fine—Fine, what?_ Nevaeh wondered, confused. _Fine, I'll just go by myself_ or _Fine, we'll stay?_

"What?" she asked, confused.

"We'll stay," Daniel said grudgingly, looking around the room.

Her eyes lit. "Really?"

"Yes," Daniel said. "You're right. There's no reason for leaving." He stood. "But just so you know, I'm not getting into her."

"What?" Nevaeh said. "Why not? You're frickin' soul mates, for God's sake!"

Daniel glanced at her, looking miserable. "You know why, Nevaeh."


	7. Meat Loaf

Chapter Seven

"You're really not going after her?" Cam asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Cam, really," Daniel muttered, looking down at his tray of…whatever science experiment it was on the school's menu today.

Cam shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"Well, it's true," Daniel insisted.

"Whatever, man," Cam said. "You're not going to be able to do it. Resist her, that is."

Daniel fell silent. Cam was probably right.

"I'll manage," he finally said. "If it means keeping her safe…"

"You've _never_ managed to do that," Cam pointed out. "_Ever._ It always happens anyway, so why fight it?"

Daniel looked up to glare at Cam wordlessly. Cam glared back, and for a solid two minutes, they were stuck in a glaring match.

Finally, Cam broke the silence. "Fine." He said. "If you're not going to go after her, I will."

Daniel was stunned. His mouth fell open. "…What?" he finally managed.

"You heard me right," Cam said, grinning a little. "You said that you weren't going to get into her, so she's free, right?"

"No!" Daniel shouted. "No, I mean, uh…"

"No? Really? Because you said…"

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Cam, you can't."

"Oh? And why is that again? I thought you said you weren't getting into her," Cam said mockingly. "So…I don't see why not."

"But…" Daniel said, sputtering crap for a minute.

"I assumed you wouldn't have a problem with it," Cam said, leaning back in his chair.

"How can you possibly assume that?" Daniel growled at him.

"Oh, but I thought you weren't going to go after her," Cam said with mock innocence. "So, that means you wouldn't mind if someone else were to…"

"No," Daniel snapped. "That wasn't what I meant!"

Cam scowled at him. "God, can't you make up your mind? You can't have your cake and eat it too!"

Daniel ground his teeth together. He hated the metaphor. But Cam was right. It was either one or the other. Stay away from Luce and let her date other guys, or get together with Luce and…

No. If he could keep her alive, that was all that really mattered to him. If that meant she could date other guys, that would have to be okay, too. It would tear him apart, either way.

Nevaeh managed to track Luce down in the lunch line. She slowed as she approached Luce. "Hey!" she called. Luce turned, seeing that it was her, and didn't look all that thrilled. Nevaeh pretended she didn't see the look Luce gave her.

"So, what's up?" Nevaeh asked, flashing an easy smile. "We didn't get a chance to talk in class."

"Nothing," Luce muttered, looking down.

"Yeah, well," Nevaeh said, "I'm sure you'll warm up to this place. Or it will warm up to you. Either way."

But Luce seemed to have not heard her. Instead, she sucked in a breath, and, looking at her tray of food, asked, "So…who is that kid? You know, tall, tan, blonde hair, grey eyes…"

Nevaeh's heart skipped a beat. She knew who Luce was asking about.

Her dad.

"Oh, you mean Daniel?" Nevaeh asked nonchalantly.

Luce nodded fiercely, like she thought the name fit him well. "Daniel. Yes. Him." Luce looked at Nevaeh, searching her eyes for answers. "So, what's up with him?"

"Daniel?" Nevaeh said innocently, but loudly. Her dad had heard her voice and looked up from a table not far away. "He can be an ass sometimes, but really, he's a big softie." She glanced back to see Daniel scowling at her. She snickered under her breath. "He's not the best at social situations, though, and he doesn't know how to handle new kids."

"Oh, really?" Luce asked, wanting to believe it.

Nevaeh nodded. "Yeah. He kinda…you know, freaks out when he sees a new kid…I think he might be a few cards shy of a full deck, if you know what I mean."

Daniel was steaming behind her. "Nevaeh," he growled, "I can hear you."

Nevaeh giggled. "Oh, I know."

Luce turned around and blushed, seeing that he was there. Daniel glimpsed her way for a second, then turned his gaze away.

"Anyway…" Nevaeh began, but just then, Arianne jumped up at them from behind. Both girls shrieked.

But something about Arianne looked different. Nevaeh placed it…her hair.

"Whoa!" Nevaeh said, her eyes widening. "What happened to your hair?"

"I got my hair did," Arianne said, playing with her short locks. "Lucinda here did it for me. You like?"

After Nevaeh got past the initial shock that Arianne had cut her hair short—she had always remembered it long—she actually began to like it. "I do. It looks good on you."

Arianne gave her a toothy grin. "You're a sweetheart, Nevaeh. Much unlike Dan…" she shot a look at Luce and caught herself. "Your dad."

Luce looked between them, confused. Had Arianne been saying Daniel?

"Anyway," Arianne said, turning to Luce. "Avoid the chicken fried steak at all costs. The pizza is fine, the chili is okay, and the borsht isn't actually all that bad. Tell me, do you like meat loaf?"

"I'm a vegetarian," Luce said, searching the cafeteria for Daniel and Cam…again.

"Vegetarian?" Nevaeh asked. "So, rebellious teenager, and it just stuck?"

Luce shook her head. "No, I just don't…"

"Like meat?" Arianna planted her hands on Luce's shoulders and steered her around so she was looking right at Daniel. Nevaeh saw Luce blush bright red.

Great. Luce was already smitten, from what Nevaeh could tell. How the hell was Daniel going to keep from dating her? Sure, Nevaeh thought it would be really sweet and sappily romantic if she could get them together, but she also didn't want her dad to be hurt.

Nevaeh, lost in her thoughts, didn't notice that the line had moved up. "Hey, Nevaeh, daydreaming again?" Arianne called.

Nevaeh snapped out of it and scrambled to catch up with them. Picking up a plastic red lunch tray, she grabbed a cheeseburger and put it on there.

"Why is everyone at this school so weird?" Luce asked as Arianne handed her a plastic tray.

Arianne eyed Luce. "I'll choose not to take offense to that," she said. "Instead, I'll go on to explaining the fine art of finding a cafeteria seat. See, you never want to sit near the…"

Nevaeh had almost zoned out, but she definatly zoned back in when she saw someone was standing behind Luce. "Luce, watch—" she began, but it was already too late by then.

She went down….with Molly's tray.

Nevaeh knew instantly that things were about to get ugly.

For a minute, the whole lunchroom went silent. Everyone was watching to see what was about to unfold. Even Daniel. He caught Nevaeh's gaze from across the cafeteria.

And Nevaeh had a front row seat! Oh, joy. Pass the popcorn, please.

"If the sight of you hadn't ruined my appetite, I would make you buy me another lunch," Molly growled through her teeth.

"S-sorry," Luce stammered. She tried to get up, but Molly stepped on her foot with the hell of her black stiletto boots.

_Ouch_, Nevaeh thought. _That had to hurt._

"Why don't I just take a rain check?" Molly said.

It was then that Nevaeh stepped in. "Come on, Molly. Just let it go. She said she was sorry."

"Yeah, Molly," Arianne agreed. "That's enough."

Molly smiled bitterly at Nevaeh. "So says Daniel's little hippie girl. You been staying out of trouble, Nevaeh?"

Nevaeh gritted her teeth. She hated when people called her little. But Molly was just baiting her, she knew. She clenched her fists, but made no move to punch her. Luce looked back and forth between the two, confused.

So Molly turned to Arianne. "Oh, and Arianne. Fast friends with the newbie, I see. This is very bad behavior. Aren't you supposed to be on probation?"

Arianne stiffened, clenching her fist and throwing a punch at Molly's eye. But just then, the wristband around Arianne's wrist began to shock her. Nevaeh knew what the wristbands were really used for—to keep the angel's wings suppressed, since they liked to pop out when they were mad. But still, it made her cringe. Nevaeh reached out to catch her just as she fell to the floor.

"Arianne," she said. "You ok?"

"Fine," Arianne said gruffly.

"Alright, break it up," Randy said from behind. Nevaeh breathed a sigh of relief. But then she saw Molly still coming at them, and she stiffened.

But, thank god, Randy grabbed a hold of Molly's wrist before she could come at them.

"Somebody better start talking." Randy barked. Then, looking over them, she changed her mind. "On second thought, all four of you report to detention tomorrow morning. Cemetary. Crack of dawn." He looked at Molly. "Have you chilled yet?"

Molly nodded reluctantly, and Randy released her.

He then came over to Arianne, who was still limp in Nevaeh's arms. She felt her twitch again, and realized that the wristband hadn't deactivated yet.

"Come on," Randy said softly. "Let's turn you off."

As Randy took Arianne from her, Nevaeh exchanged glances with her dad. He didn't look happy. He'd probably chew her out this afternoon.

"Crack of dawn!" Randy called again.

"Looking forward to it!" Molly called cheerily, picking up a piece of disgusting-looking meatloaf from her tray. She dangled it over Luce's head for a minute, then dropped it. She pulled out a camera from thin air and smiled, saying, "Say meatloaf!"

Molly then took her leave. Nevaeh reached out a hand to help Luce up, and she took it. Luce looked at her, then out at the cafeteria. Nevaeh figured she was searching for Daniel.

"Let's get you to a bathroom," Nevaeh said, distracting her. Luce nodded, and let Nevaeh lead her from the cafeteria.


	8. Cleaning Up

Chapter Eight

"Are you okay?" Nevaeh asked once they stepped into the bathroom.

"Yeah," Luce sniffed. "I'm….fine."

Nevaeh laughed uncertainly. "You look far from it."

She sniffed again, more loudly this time, and rubbed her right eye. "Yeah," she said, "I figured as much."

Nevaeh, unsure on what to do, looked her over. She looked disgusting, but Nevaeh didn't tell her that.

"So what is Molly's problem?" Luce exploded, her voice breaking.

"Molly?" Nevaeh said, "Oh, don't worry about her; she's just a bitter bitch. I think she has a grudge against the world."

"Tell me about it," Luce muttered, sniffing once more.

"Well…." Nevaeh said, "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

Luce nodded.

Just as Nevaeh was turning on the sink water, someone else entered the bathroom. Nevaeh looked up to see who it was, finding Penn standing in the threshold with a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap. She nodded to her in acknowledgement.

"Hi Penn," she greeted. Luce looked up to see the new arrival.

"Hey Nevaeh," Penn said back cheerfully. She turned her gaze to Luce. "And that must make you Lucinda."

"How did you know my name?" asked Luce, bewildered. "And who are you?"

"My name is Pennyweather Van-Syckle Lockwood," she introduced. "And I'm a powerful friend to have."

Luce was about to ask what that was supposed to mean, but before she could, Penn nodded toward the running faucet and said, "I'll take it from here."

Nevaeh nodded gratefully. Luce shot her a look that read '_don't leave me alone with these crazy people!'_

"Don't worry," Nevaeh told her, "She's not insane!"

**Eme**

Daniel met her as soon as she walked out of the bathroom.

"How is she?" he asked, his words flat but traced with hidden concern.

"She's okay," Nevaeh said. "A little upset, but otherwise fine."

Daniel exhaled. "Good." He looked away, in the direction of the lunchroom. His eyes narrowed. "I'm going to have to talk with Molly, though."

"Yeah," Nevaeh agreed. "What a bitch."

Daniel looked her over, and Nevaeh blushed, realizing she'd just cussed in front of her dad. Sometimes she forgot, since she had cussed in front of him before; he just didn't notice, apparentally.

"Watch your mouth," he warned.

"But there's no other way to describe her!" Nevaeh protested.

"Okay, I will have to agree with that one," Daniel muttered. "Alright, Nevaeh, I'll see you later. I'm going back to the room."

Nevaeh frowned. She wanted to go back, too. She was exhausted…a nap would be nice just about now. But, unlike her dad, she had to go to class. "Okay," she said grudgingly. "See you."

Daniel, already walking away, lifted his hand in response, not looking back.

**EmEmEmEmE**

**Okay, so I need some help!**

**I've got a Science fair project coming up, you see, and I need people willing to take a quiz for me!**

**If you would like to help out, send me a private message and I will send you a link to the quiz. It's greatly appreciated!**

**Thank you for your cooperation!**

_**-TheSkyIsCrying**_


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